The storylines of the Marquis's resurrection and the Swarm attack were destined to converge at this point in time, so no matter how cautious he was, if he hadn't chosen to resurrect last time, he would inevitably have encountered this current crisis.
Just as Oliver was hesitating, [ Clear Soup Master ]'s unauthorized inquiry arrived:
"Sir, would you like to eat more?"
The aged body was lost in confusion. Sensing the dwindling number of Blood Corpse, Oliver knew he had to make this difficult decision.
"... eat."
He endured the humiliation and issued the order with some resignation.
[ Clear Soup Master ] seemed to have been injected with a stimulant and immediately shouted loudly:
"Someone, feed the young master some cakes!"
This sounded a bit strange, but Oliver was no longer thinking about it. All his reason was focused on digesting the blood that had been sprinkled into the sealing array, even though it felt like he had eaten something.
Upon hearing the captain's order, [ Namo Goose Rice Tofu ] casually opened the nearest container, and a strange aroma immediately wafted out.
He squinted slightly and took a closer look. Good heavens, it was juice squeezed from Scarlet Millet, and it even looked like it was freshly squeezed!
The thought that one of the precautions for eating Scarlet Millet clearly states the dangers of eating it raw brought a wry smile to [ Namo Goose Rice Tofu ]'s lips.
Perhaps today he will learn what the consequences of eating Scarlet Millet will be, if even freshly squeezed juice can be considered raw consumption.
And so, animal blood, plant juices, and all sorts of red liquids were poured into the sealing array, and Oliver had to carefully savor these foods in order to extract life force from them.
"Vomit!"
A loud retching sound echoed in the cave, and [ My Buddha Ciba ] felt an invisible, immense pressure suddenly appear above his body.
"What... what did you just pour out?!"
Oliver's roar echoed in his ears.
"My lord, it's blood!"
"What kind of blood?"
"... human blood!"
"Liar! There's not even a trace of human scent in this!"
[ My Buddha Ciba ] put on a pitiful look:
"Sir, it really is human blood, but this group of people is severely Aberration; they look a bit like sheep."
"Vomit!"
Immense pressure has once again Descent on [ Pizza Heart ]:
"What kind of blood is this? Why is it so hot?"
"My lord, this is truly a human, a member of the Dragonborn among humans. I would never dare to deceive you!"
Just as Oliver was about to explode, a deep-seated nausea welled up in his throat again:
"Ugh! What is this? Who did this?"
His most trusted lieutenant, [ Clear Soup Master ], knelt on the ground:
"Sir, this group of humans has been eaten by carnivorous plants. I think it's a waste anyway, so perhaps..."
"You lowly creature! How dare you..."
Just as Oliver was about to get angry, [ Zhong Lele ], who had been quietly filming from the side, secretly poured a bottle of hot pot base into the magic circle.
Oliver's voice vanished without a trace.
It felt like choking on a spicy hot pot; Oliver was so overwhelmed by the spiciness that he couldn't speak.
So what does it mean that the Marquis couldn't speak?
This represents the default setting.
The players moved faster in perfect unison, and an indescribable smell permeated the entire sealing array. If one had to pinpoint the exact smell, it would be something like a garbage truck.
Under the seal, Oliver, who had just escaped the lingering pungent smell, had no time to punish his group of slacking, intelligent Blood Corpse, because he felt his body undergoing changes he didn't want to see.
When Ed was trying to persuade Willow, he claimed to be the Lord of Plants, controlling every plant in this territory, in order to increase his bargaining power in negotiations.
While this statement isn't entirely accurate, it's not entirely unfounded either.
At least all the Aberration plants within the territory are currently under Ed's control. The artificial Aberration plant Scarlet Millet, is even more closely connected to Ed. And since all the players' bodies were personally created by Ed, their connection with him is naturally very close.
The large intake of freshly squeezed Scarlet Millet juice, combined with the blood contributed by the players, has allowed these still-vital fluids to enter Oliver's circulatory system.
When this hidden power had accumulated to a certain extent, Ed decisively chose to detonate it.
"Aaaaaaahh...
Oliver, who was below the magic circle, let out a low groan. He didn't understand what was happening to his body.
Could it be that I've been sealed away for too long?
Or has the Demonic Tide transformed humanity into a form it can no longer comprehend?
Or perhaps the vampire race has lost the favor of the Demonic Tide?
He couldn't think of an answer, and he was no longer able to think of one.
The marquis's bones began to Aberration, his skin was no longer pale, and a new power was being nurtured within him, attempting to merge with him.
The players, who were pouring blood, paused in their actions.
They heard several distinct Shattered sounds.
At first, they thought the seal above the Marquis had Shattered, but as the sounds of Shattered and snapping became clearer, the players realized that what seemed to be Shattered was... the Marquis himself.
The cave floor suddenly cracked open, and instead of retreating, the players rushed forward excitedly, trying to get firsthand information.
After all, each BOSS's appearance and transformation is unique and worth remembering, and many people have unknowingly filled the hard drives of their real-world devices with the footage they've taken.
But what emerged from the seal, before everyone's eyes, was not the marquis's arm or leg, but a... tree branch?
The branch possessed the resilience of a plant trunk, yet also seemed to have the softness of flesh and blood; the moment it touched the top of the cave, it had already taken root in the crevice of the rock.
The branch then continued to grow larger and thicker, and under its influence, the Marquis's enormous, deformed body gradually squeezed out of the seal.
At this moment, Oliver had completely lost his human-like appearance as a vampire. His head was tilted to one side, and robust Scarlet Millet nourished by flesh and blood grew in the holes of his ears, eyes, and so on.
A thick tree branch protruded from his collarbone, connecting to the cave ceiling, and as it continued to grow larger and thicker, it seemed poised to replace his head.
Oliver's back was now covered with all sorts of Aberration plants: Deadwood Vine, Scarlet Millet, Blood-Drinking Thornbush... The various Aberration plants intertwined and merged on his body, as if they had made the Marquis's body the best soil for survival.
His limbs were covered with a layer of grayish-black tissue similar to tree bark, while his abdomen bulged outwards and was filled with undigested red liquid.
The Marquis's entire body had now reached a height of nearly four meters, and he could only move forward in a crawling manner within the narrow cave.